About us

Compagnie Polynesienne de Transport Maritime, also known as C.P.T.M, is a third generation maritime company which operates the Aranui, a passenger/freighter vessel in French Polynesia. Founded in 1954 by the patriarch of the Wong family from Tahiti, first as Wing Man Hing and subsequently as C.P.T.M., its ships have been plying the waters of French Polynesia for over six decades. Originally, it serviced the Tuamotu and Gambiers Archipelagos, supplying and conducting trade between these islands and Tahiti.

In 1978, the commercial line to the Marquesas Islands was added to its shipping route, and in 1984, the Aranui I was converted to accommodate passengers, creating Aranui Cruises.

At the time of its first sailing and for many years after, the Aranui was the only ship to bring tourists to the Marquesas, putting them on the map and creating an interest in this little known archipelago.

Over the past thirty years, it has helped revitalize the long forgotten Marquesan culture and contribute to the local economy by introducing these islands to nearly 45,000 international passengers, thereby establishing itself as the premier and most in-depth cruise to the Marquesas.

With a knowledgeable and expert Polynesian crew, many of whom have been with the company for over thirty years, this soft adventure and cultural experience truly represents the journey of a lifetime. The advent of the Aranui 5, setting sail in December of 2015, will once again redefine cruising in French Polynesia.